Man Gets 27 Years To Life For Deadly DUI Crash During 2009 Police Pursuit

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WESTMINSTER (CBSLA.com) — A 27-year-old man was given a sentence of 27 years to life Friday for a deadly DUI crash that also left two other victims permanently injured.

Oscar Villalobos cried in court Friday during sentencing.

Before Villalobos was sentenced by OC Superior Court Judge Lance Jensen, teary family members of Orlando Botello, the grandfather who was killed in the crash, told Villalobos how his actions destroyed their lives.

Villalobos was convicted Feb. 27 of second-degree murder, driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol level in excess of .08 causing injury and evading police causing death or serious injury.

Jensen handed down the maximum sentence for Villalobos, who has two prior convictions for possessing a firearm as a felon and felony domestic violence that resulted in prison terms, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker.

Villalobos was given for 15 years for killing Botello and another 12 years for leaving the other two victims with permanent injuries. He won’t be eligible parole until he serves at least 24 years.

Villalobos’ blood-alcohol level was measured at .23 percent, nearly three times the legal limit, after he led police on the June 15, 2009, chase that left 49-year-old Botello of Chino Hills dead and Carlos Butrus of Cypress with a broken pelvis, ribs and shoulder and a ruptured bladder, according to Walker.

Botello’s widow, brother, sister, daughter and granddaughter told Jensen how the victim’s death affected the family, prompting the judge to remark that Botello was “one of the good guys,” the prosecutor said.

The defendant apologized to the family and asked for their forgiveness, reported CBS2’s Dave Lopez.

“I just want to tell the family, the Botello family, how really sorry I am,” Villalobos said, “I have a lot of remorse.” He also said he didn’t remember the crash.

“I just blacked out,” he said.”

An expert testified that Villalobos’ blood-alcohol level was .26 at the time he was racing away from police in a red 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, she said.

The truck nearly collided with two other vehicles during the pursuit on Gramercy Avenue as the driver sped through multiple stop signs and weaved in and out of traffic, Walker said. He got up to nearly 90 mph on Crescent Avenue, which has a speed limit of 40 mph, she said.

After Villalobos ran a red light, his pickup collided with several other vehicles, including a truck in which Botello was waiting to turn left, Walker said. Botello died at the scene.